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Maine becomes first state to expand Medicaid by referendum

The Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion was a big winner tonight: Voters in Maine approved a ballot measure to participate in the expansion, and Democrats' significant gains in Virginia improved the odds it will expand the program, too.

What's next: Although Maine voters signed off on Medicaid expansion last night, some advocates expect Gov. Paul LePage to drag his feet until he leaves office next year, pushing the actual implementation of tonight's referendum to his successor. In Virginia, Democrats' romp through the House of Delegates — where the policy died under Gov. Terry McAuliffe — will make Medicaid expansion significantly more likely.

Protesters gather north of Lafayette Square near the White House during a demonstration against racism and police brutality, in Washington, D.C. on Saturday evening. Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AFP via Getty Images

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have been rallying in cities across the U.S. and around the world to protest the killing of George Floyd. Huge crowds assembled in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago for full-day events on Saturday.